Do it yourself: How To Diagnose Your Oil Furnace

An oil-burning furnace is basically a blowtorch in a fire resistant container. Electrical ignition sparks a high-pressure mist of oil and air, heating the air in an adjacent holding chamber. A fan propels the heat throughout your residence. Despite its intricacy, problems with an oil-burning furnace are infrequent. The good news is that many common problems can be addressed conveniently by a home owner. Having said that, some fixes require an Hvac expert. If the family is already getting chilly and worried, take immediate steps to maintain the safety and comfort of you and your family before you venture into furnace analysis. 

Start off simple and easy
Check the thermostat. Is the fan mode set to automatic? Is the thermostat set to heat? Check out your fuel oil supply. Don’t just depend on the gauge - it’s as subject to failure as any element. Unless you just had it filled recently, examine the fuel tank itself. Use a dipstick to determine how much fuel you have. By the way, it’s never ever a good idea to permit your fuel level get low; that’s when sludge and sediment get sucked into lines and plug up filters. Inspect the furnace. Can you hear it operating? Is the cabinet warm to the touch? The air filter may simply be so dirty it’s blocking the flow of heated up air. Remove the filter. Problem solved? Great. Put in a clean filter. In rare cases, obstructed ducts can constrain air flow adequately to reduce the performance of your furnace. Duct cleaning is dirty work that’s best left to specialists. 

If the furnace isn’t operating, go back to the thermostat and turn it up by 5 or 10 degrees. Does the furnace start? If not, switch the fan setting from “automatic” to “on” or “run". If air isn’t moving and the furnace fan isn’t running, take a look at your circuit breaker. If the circuit breaker is tripped and resetting it only causes it to trip once again, have an electrician check the wiring and circuit capacity. If the fan is working, your circuit is fine. Next, look for the “reset” button on the furnace control module. If it's popped up, your complication may be fuel-related - either a shortage of supply or an congestion in its movement. Press the reset button and check your oil tank and in-line filter. Clean or swap the filter if it’s gunked up. Don’t hit “reset” more than twice. The process pumps oil into the burner chamber, where it can build up if you have no ignition. When the furnace finally does start, it can do so explosively. So if the button won’t reset, or quickly pops up again, it’s time to call a professional repair service. 

As you examine your furnace system, watch for two potential culprits: Leaks in oil lines and soot in the burner chamber. Leaks allow air into the system, which can hurt performance. And soot implies inefficient combustion that can lead to other problems. Each conditions should be addressed by an expert.

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Park Mechanical Plumbing, Heating & Air
3104 O St. Ste 15
Sacramento, Ca 95816
916-452-4154